Center for Laboratory Animal Sciences

• Capacity for more than 11,000 rodent (mouse and rat) cages in a 40,000-square-foot, wirelessly enabled facility
• Accreditation since 2010 by AAALACi, the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International
• A board-certified attending veterinarian who is a diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine
• Certified laboratory animal care technicians and technologists
• Coordination with all of DHMRI laboratories for procedures and experimentation

The facility also includes:

• Environmentally controlled animal housing and procedure rooms with biosafety cabinets
• Clean/dirty cage wash areas
• Surgical and necropsy suites with surgical and anesthetic assistance
• Storage for feed and bedding, general supplies and carcasses
• A food preparation area
• Enclosed loading and receiving area
• Security and monitoring that includes a card and key pad access system, security cameras and an environmental monitoring and alarm system
• Personnel space with offices, lockers and rest areas

CLAS is subject to compliance management for all animal use protocols, which are reviewed by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and, as required, an Institutional Biosafety Committee. The facility has a current letter of assurance filed with the Public Health Service’s Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), and strictly adheres to the Animal Welfare Act, the “Guide for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals” and the Public Health Service Policy.